Trying to solve a problem? Be creative? Whether by yourself or in a group, brainstorming can help get the ideas–and alternatives–to flow. While you have probably brainstormed at work or at school, what about brainstorming to practice, well, brainstorming?
Take a subject, such as vegetables. Try to think of as many types of vegetables you can. Simple, right? But it is in the stretching your brain to include those vegetables you may not have thought of in the first wave. Don’t forget to take pen to paper with this (or fingers to keyboard) to keep track of your storm. It might even help you decide what to have for dinner–you never know!
Or what about brainstorming what you find on a mountain? On a beach? Do you write fiction? Try brainstorming all the things you might find in a character’s pocket or desk drawer to get a better sense of the fictional person.
Like any skill, brainstorming can get better the more you work with it.
With regards to my own life, I’m planning on having an informal brainstorming session with my kids about what we’ll be doing this summer. Granted, I’ve already spent time on my own brainstorming, but many of my ideas seem very stale and overdone. I want to have their input and their creativity. It will help create more enthusiasm and spontaneity and, most importantly, a sense of buying into the solution to the problem.
And sometimes, when dealing with family members, ownership can be the most important part of brainstorming.

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